Playa del Carmen Man Charged With Aggravated Extortion of Store Employee

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A man accused of threatening a convenience store employee and demanding weekly payments has been charged with aggravated extortion, prosecutors said.

Erick Alberto N. was arrested Aug. 3 after the worker signaled to police officers passing by the store in the Toscana neighborhood, according to the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office.

The investigation states that the suspect entered the business at the corner of Chemuyil and 28 de Julio avenues and demanded 5,000 pesos (about $260) per week as protection money, ‘derecho de piso,’ in exchange for allowing her to continue working. He allegedly threatened to kill her if she failed to pay, showed a knife, and left a note with a phone number for future demands.

The employee told investigators she handed over the 300 pesos she had on hand. When a patrol drove by, she caught the officers’ attention, and they arrested the suspect in the act. Police recovered the 300 pesos and the knife.

The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Kidnapping and Extortion presented evidence to a judge, who found probable cause to proceed and ordered the suspect held in pretrial detention while the investigation continues.